Leeds United are closing in on their first major signing this summer, but Shea Charles is likely to be one of a handful of new additions, and a striker is expected to be targeted by the Whites, too.
Leeds are locked in talks with Southampton over a move for Charles, having had an initial £20m bid rejected for the Northern Ireland international. Stuart Dallas is a big fan of the Southampton midfielder.
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But Leeds won’t stop there. Daniel Farke will want to sort out the goalkeeping position, bring in cover at left-back, sign a better version of Brenden Aaronson, and bring in competition for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Leeds missed out on Jacob Strand Larsen in January, and that shows they feel they need another striker. Reports say Leeds are keen on Ao Tanaka’s Japan teammate Ayase Ueda, who’s starring at Feyenoord.
Fabrizio Romano delivers update on Leeds target Ayase Ueda
The 27-year-old has caught the eye at the World Cup after scoring twice in Japan’s impressive 4-0 win over Tunisia, having drawn with the Netherlands in their first game. Japan look like dark horses again.
Leeds have been told that Ueda would be the perfect signing for Daniel Farke’s side in the recent past, and a £26m fee would get the job done. It comes after a superb season in which he scored 26 goals.
Now, Fabrizio Romano has an update on Ueda. He posted on X that Ueda is attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League ahead of a potential move to England ahead of the summer transfer window.
Romano said: “Ayase Ueda could leave Feyenoord this summer with attention growing also after World Cup impact. Approaches are already taking place from Premier League and Bundesliga clubs.”
What Japanese media said about Ueda after 4-0 win v Tunisia
Tanaka didn’t start for Japan in their 2-2 draw with the Netherlands and actually, the Leeds ace remained an unused sub. But he did start against Tunisia and he impressed in the middle of the park for Japan.
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Japanese media were impressed by Tanaka, but Ueda also caught the attention of FootballChannel.jp. Ueda was given Japan’s best rating of 8.5, above Tanaka’s 7.5, praising his display aside from his goals.
“Ayase Ueda supported the team both offensively and defensively, fulfilling his role up front. He scored a crucial goal with a powerful long-range shot. He also scored the decisive fourth goal.”
He might cost a pretty penny, but all good strikers proven in European competition do. Ueda could be a superb addition up front for Leeds, if the Whites do make a move for Tanaka’s teammate this summer.
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